Loss to Roma leave Juve waiting for another title

Reuters, MILAN, Italy

AS Roma on Sunday provided an unexpected twist to the Serie A title race with a 3-1 win over leaders Juventus, who had needed only a draw to wrap up their sixth successive title with two games to spare.

Daniele De Rossi, Stephan El Shaarawy and Radja Nainggolan scored for Roma to end Juve’s 16-match unbeaten run in the league after Mario Lemina had put the visitors ahead.

Juve’s lead over Roma was cut to four points with two matches to play, with Roma having the better head-to-head record.

SSC Napoli, who earlier kept up their free-scoring form as they beat Torino 5-0 away, are one point further behind in third and also still have a mathematical chance of winning the title.

Juventus, aiming for a league, cup and UEFA Champions League treble, are still firm favorites, needing three points from their matches at home to Crotone and away to Bologna.

They return to the Stadio Olimpico to face SS Lazio in the Coppa Italia final tomorrow.

Elsewhere, hapless Inter lost 2-1 at home to US Sassuolo, their fourth defeat in a row, and most of their hard-core fans walked out in protest in the 25th minute, leaving a banner on the curva Nord saying they had “gone to lunch.”

There were bizarre goals elsewhere.

AC Chievo Verona were left fuming when goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino lost his boot during a clash on the byline, but play was waved on and Fabio Quagliarella scored into an empty net to put Sampdoria ahead.

Roberto Inglese volleyed home early in the second half to give the Flying Donkeys a 1-1 draw.

Genoa lost 1-0 at relegated US Citta di Palermo when their goalkeeper Eugenio Lamanna caught a harmless Andrea Rispoli header under the crossbar, but stepped backward into his goal and took the ball over the line with him.

Genoa’s defeat left them with 33 points, only two ahead of Crotone in the relegation zone with Empoli sandwiched in between.

Crotone continued their bid for a great escape by beating Udinese 1-0 with a goal by Marcus Rohden, while Empoli lost 3-2 at Cagliari.

Palermo and Delfino Pescara 1936 are already down.

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